Find out how popular the last name Valdiva is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Valdiva.

Valdiva, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Valdiva surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Valdiva in America

Valdiva is the 147253rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Valdiva surname appeared 112 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Valdiva.

The history of the last name Valdiva

The surname VALDIVA originated in Spain during the 16th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "val" meaning valley and "diva" meaning divine or goddess, likely referring to a beautiful valley or a settlement located in a picturesque valley region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the VALDIVA surname can be found in the archives of the city of Seville, where a certain Juan de VALDIVA was mentioned in a document dated 1562. This suggests that the name may have originated in or around the Andalusia region of southern Spain.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, as Spain expanded its colonies in the Americas, many individuals with the VALDIVA surname likely migrated to the New World. For example, records show that a Francisca VALDIVA was born in Lima, Peru, in 1639, indicating that the name had spread to Spanish colonies in South America by that time.

In the mid-18th century, a notable figure with the VALDIVA surname was Pedro VALDIVA, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who led expeditions into what is now Chile. He is credited with founding the city of Santiago in 1541 and is regarded as a key figure in the colonization of Chile.

Another historical figure with the VALDIVA surname was María VALDIVA, a Spanish painter who lived in the late 17th century. She was known for her religious artwork and is considered one of the earliest female painters to gain recognition in Spain.

In the 19th century, a prominent individual with the VALDIVA surname was José VALDIVA, a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Mexico from 1853 to 1855. He played a significant role in shaping Mexico's foreign policy during a turbulent period in the country's history.

Over the centuries, the VALDIVA surname has undergone various spelling variations, such as Valdivia, Valdiva, and Valdibio, reflecting regional linguistic differences and the evolution of the Spanish language over time. These variations can be found in historical records and documents across Spain and its former colonies in the Americas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Valdiva

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Valdiva.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Valdiva was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Valdiva was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Valdiva, please contact us.

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